One Life to Live News & Gossip
News for the week of 23-Jun-2008
OLTL won best directing team and best writing at the 35th annual Daytime Emmy ceremony, held at the Kodak Theater in L.A., June 20, but lost out to its only acting nod (sorry Brian Kerwin/Charlie). Accepting for the directing team, Jill Mitwell, and for writing, head writer Ron Carlivati, who said he turns 40 along with the show this year. Carlivati went the extra mile to honor actor Robert S. Woods (Bo) as someone who should’ve been up on the stage getting an award of his own.
Gina Tognoni (ex-Kelly; Dinah, GL) won in her best supporting actress category, btw. It’s her second Emmy win.
OLTL took home the most Creative Arts–Daytime Emmy awards in a June 14th ceremony, including one for original songs, “Chemistry” and “Little Starr.” Other awards came in costume design and lighting direction. The Creative Arts awards were held at the Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York.
Robert S. Woods’ (Bo) real-life wife Loyita and son Tanner will portray characters in the 40th anniversary story revolving around a lightning strike on his character and John-Paul Lavoisier’s (Rex). Loyita, who appeared before as Clint’s former flame Dallas, will reprise that role as well as play a younger Renee. Tanner will be Bo as a child, and may, according to a proud Woods, put on his real-life military uniform (the actor served in Vietnam as a Green Beret). The storyline kicks off July 21.
John-Paul Lavoisier (Rex) is very clear on several issues. No marriage. No politics. No life without golf. And for God’s sakes, no eating paste in preschool. While the other preschoolers were enjoying themselves on the white stuff, Lavoisier was like, “What the hell are you [guys] doing?!” However, he did something typical as a little boy when he was in kindergarten, which shamed him at the time. He had a pee-pee accident in class. He’s so anti-marriage, that when he coveted golfer Tiger Woods’ life, he coveted just the golfing fame, not the wife-and-daughter part. –Soap Opera Weekly, June 17, 2008
Talk about weird places to find out you won a Daytime Emmy nomination. Brian Kerwin (Charlie), whose play August: Osage County was up for a Tony days before the Emmys aired, was luxuriating in a bath at home when he received a call from his neighbor Lydia that he’d earned himself an acting nomination for OLTL. He (wrongly) assumed others in the OLTL cast would share in the excitement with their nominations, and said he was “just a little embarrassed” with his sole nom. The Tonys and the Emmys were the first such awards ceremonies the actor has attended, and he’s been acting for about 30 years. –Soap Opera Digest, June 24, 2008
Bree Williamson (Jessica/Tess) is beyond happy to split into the dark side again. She promised the reappearance as Tess would be even darker than before, and welcomed a change from the sobbing, screeching widow to the calm, sexy, but lethal survivor. She said filming the mourning scenes took a lot out of her, physically. She screamed on cue at Natalie and Jared so loudly that she said she felt herself sweat. It’ll be a relief to hold all those emotions in as Tess, she added.
Filming his death scene—and leaving OLTL in a great role—hurt Forbes March (Nash), a lot, as he’ll be the first to admit. While he seriously could hardly bear to go through with the death scenes themselves emotionally, there was at least one time when he couldn’t contain his breathing or laughter. He tried to maintain complete stillness as a corpse while co-star Williamson (Jessica) delivered her emotionally over-wrought dialogue, but at the last possible second, he said he had to gasp for air, “…and then I burst into laughter.” –Soap Opera Weekly, June 17, 2008
For Susan Haskell, returning to Marty didn’t feel like a done deal in her heart until she stepped back into the studio. She even entertained some doubts as to whether she made the right choice to return—until she spotted familiar, dear faces, Hillary B. Smith (Nora), costume designer Susan Gammie, the crew…
For Andrea Evans, who returned as Tina at about the same time, she knew she’d done good – with the material, the PTB in charge, the co-stars and the home away from home back East which she had to leave years and years ago (due to a stalker who’s since been rendered a non-issue; he’s too old to stalk a cricket much less an actress, for one thing, and for another, stalker laws are now in place to deal with people like him). “…like slipping on an old glove,” Evans said. “Some of my oldest friends in the world are there; Renata, the makeup artist… And, of course, I know Frank [Valentini, executive producer] forever.” Since bowing out of OLTL, Evans has moved on with her husband and their adopted child (she has tried conceiving on her own before the adoption), the infamous PSNS role as Rebecca and now, back home again. Full circle. –Soap Opera Weekly, June 17, 2008
Gossip for the week of 23-Jun-2008
For a show that got zero acting love from the 35th Daytime Emmys, it was rewarding to see so many actors showcased in their Emmy finest during SOAPnet’s June 20th pre-show, Live from the Daytime Emmys. John-Paul Lavoisier (Rex) and Farah Fath (Gigi) were hot together—and I don’t just mean the 110-degree California heat. Lavoisier revealed he was wearing Rex’s wedding tuxedo jacket and that the cufflinks cost “more than my rent.” Fath admitted to sleeping in till 4 p.m., strolling into the first clothing shop she saw, trying on a black vintage dress and buying it. She paired the dress with very blue heels and a diamond-y cross necklace, which Lavoisier quipped came from his wardrobe. Brandon Buddy (Cole) and Kristen Alderson (Starr) talked briefly about their controversial pregnancy storyline. Alderson announced a baby cousin being born, while Buddy said he had to use a “lot of baby powder” to deal with the heat. Towards the end, John Brotherton (Jared) and Melissa Archer (Natalie) appeared together, announcing his marriage and her engagement. Archer said she liked her character’s relatability. Brotherton said he like Natalie’s bad side.
Lavoisier and Fath took their on-screen chemistry and flirted with it during their Daytime Emmys presentation of the best talk show-entertainment award (went to Rachael Ray). They related their appearances on two of the three contenders thusly, via Lavoisier: on The View, they held hands; on Rachael Ray, they made out, so, maybe if they get on Ellen, they should… blank, blank, a fluttery, sexy look back by Fath. If I were gay, I would totally go for her.
Kassie DePaiva (Blair) presented an award with Michael Easton (John) and Susan Haskell (Marty). But that wasn’t the interesting part. That happened when DePaiva welcomed Haskell back as “the real Marty.” Just when the furor dies with AMC’s the real Greenlee, DePaiva has to start it up again.
Astute OLTL observations for the past two weeks by Llan-VIEW CRAZE columnist Jeremy in Chicago in “The Good and the Not So Good” (read on June 17, 2008).
He felt underwhelmed by the lame re-intros of Marty and Tina, and well, so did I. I’m sure in the 1970s, their reveals would’ve been shock-inducing, but in the year 2008, they really were cringeworthy. “Call me Tina,” whatever.
Jeremy wrote: “Tina’s reason for returning to Llanview should have had to do with the PEOPLE in Llanview – not some stupid jewelry” and “The storytelling majorly faltered by eliminating Lee Ramsey as if he was an afterthought. In truth, Ramsey is the reason Marty is alive and being held captive, and now we’ll never know why. Furthermore, the picture that comforts Marty turned out to be of John, whom she has only known for a year or so. Patrick and Cole are the important people in Marty’s life, not John. I felt manipulated by the writers, when we don’t even know yet if Michael Easton and Susan Haskell have any chemistry. My confidence in Ron Carlivati is starting to waiver, as I’ve noticed some really messy craftsmanship this past week.”
James DePaiva (Max) and Fiona Hutchison (Gabrielle) return this summer?
Is BethAnn Bonner as Talia history, and not Justis Bolding (Sarah)?
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